Akrotiri and Dhekelia – Britain Treasure Island Akrotiri and Dhekelia About The British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia comprise those parts of Cyprus which stayed under British jurisdiction and remained British sovereign territory when the 1960 Treaty of Establishment created the independent Republic of Cyprus. They cover 254 km2, 123 around Akrotiri, the Western Sovereign Base Area (WSBA) and 131 around Dhekelia, the Eastern Sovereign Base Area (ESBA). Because they are run as military bases, the Sovereign Base Area Administration (SBAA) reports to the British Ministry of Defence in London, rather than the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They are a British Overseas Territory with a civilian administration working under an Administrator who is Commander of the British Forces, Cyprus. The Chief Officer, Administrative Secretary, Resident Judge, Chief Constable and other senior officials are recruited from or seconded from UK departments. The administration of the Bases exists to ensure the effective use as a military base; the full co-operation with the Republic of Cyprus; and the protection of those resident or working in the Bases.

The laws deliberately match those in the Republic of Cyprus, where practicable. The SBAA is responsible for protection of the environment in the Bases, working with the relevant Cypriot Republic departments. Work includes protecting breeding endangered loggerhead Caretta caretta and green turtles Chelonia mydas, which nest here. The only remaining colony of griffon vultures Gyps fulvus on Cyprus is found on the cliffs at Episkopi in the WSBA, and there is a large colony of Eleanora’s falcons Falco eleonorae both here and on the cliffs bordering the Royal Air Force station at Akrotiri. The most important wetland on the island of Cyprus, Akrotiri salt lake, lies within the WSBA and is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Twenty seven habitat types are recognised across this spectacular mosaic of marshland, salt lake, coastal and marine areas.

Two hundred species of migratory birds use the wetland for over-wintering or breeding, such as over 30,000 greater flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus demoiselle crane Anthropoides virgo, various migrant waders, black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa, blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, alongside many resident species. The Bases support hundreds of plant species, many of which are rare or endemic such as Achillea maritime, Lotus cytisoides and Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. They also contain hundreds of invertebrates, including nearly eighty endemic insect species, and various reptiles and amphibians, some of which have a disproportionately high importance here due to the reduced habitat elsewhere in Cyprus. Read more about the wildlife, history and cultural heritage of all of the UK Overseas Territories in the 704 page Britain’s Treasure Islands book ( CLICK HERE ). Watch 42 ‘mini-documentaries’ that explore the wildlife, cultures and history of all of the UK Overseas Territories ( CLICK HERE ).

Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia ( n/a ) [n/a]/sq mi</td> </tr><tr> <th colspan="2" style="vertical-align:middle;"> Currency</th> <td>Euro ( EUR )</td> </tr><tr class="mergedtoprow"> <th colspan="2">Time zone</th> <td> EET (UTC+2)</td> </tr><tr class="mergedbottomrow"> <td style="width:1.0em;padding:0 0 0 0.6em;"> - </td> <td style="padding-left:0;">Summer ( DST )</td> <td> EEST (UTC+3)</td> </tr><tr> <th colspan="2">Calling code</th> <td> +357 </td> </tr><tr style="font-size:xx-small;"> <td align="right">a.</td> <td colspan="2" style="padding-left:0;">Including families.</td> </tr> Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Greek: Ακρωτήρι και Δεκέ

λεια, Akrotiri kai Dhekeleia; Turkish language: Ağrotur ve Dikelya), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, is a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus.

The Areas, which include bases and other land, were retained by the British, under the 1960 treaty of independence, agreed and signed by the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and representatives from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, which granted independence to the Crown colony of Cyprus. The territory comprises two Areas. One is Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι, IPA: [akro̞ˈtiri] ; Turkish language: Ağrotur), or the "Western Sovereign Base Area" (or WSBA), which includes two main bases at RAF Akrotiri and Episkopi Cantonment , plus all of Akrotiri Village's district (including Limassol Salt Lake ) and parts of eleven other village districts. [1] The other Area is Dhekelia (Greek: Δεκέλεια, IPA: [ðe̞ˈke̞lia] ; Turkish: Dikelya), or the "Eastern Sovereign Base Area" (or ESBA), which includes a base at Ayios Nikolaos plus parts of twelve village districts.

[2] Contents Main article: Modern history of Cyprus The Sovereign Base Areas were created in 1960 by the Treaty of Establishment , when Cyprus achieved independence from the British Empire . The United Kingdom desired to retain sovereignty over these areas, as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri , and a garrison of the British Army . The importance of the bases to the British is based on the strategic location of Cyprus, at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, close to the Suez Canal and the Middle East; the ability to use the RAF base as staging post for military aircraft; and for general training purposes. In 1974, following a military coup by the Greek-Cypriot National Guard attempting to achieve enosis (union with Greece), Turkey invaded the north of Cyprus , leading to the establishment of the internationally unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . This did not affect the status of the bases.

Greek Cypriots fleeing from the Turks were permitted to travel through the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, and were given humanitarian aid, with those from Achna setting up a new village (Dasaki Achnas or Achna Forest) which is still in the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area. [3] The Turkish advance halted when it reached the edge of the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area to avoid military conflict with the United Kingdom. In the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area a tented refugee camp was set up at "Happy Valley" (part of the Episkopi Cantonment ) [4] to house Turkish Cypriots fleeing from Limassol and the villages surrounding the Area, until in 1975 they were flown out of RAF Akrotiri via Turkey to northern Cyprus. [5] Some Greek Cypriot refugees remain housed on land in the parts of Trachoni [6] and Kolossi [7] villages that fall within the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area.

[8] Disputes Edit In July 2001, violent protests were held at the bases by local Cypriots, angry at British plans to construct radio masts at the bases as part of an upgrade of British military communication posts around the world. Locals had claimed the masts would endanger local lives and cause cancer, as well as have a negative impact on wildlife in the area. The British and Cypriot governments jointly commissioned health research from the University of Bristol and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus, and that research project reported in 2005 that there was no evidence of health problems being caused by electromagnetic fields from the antennae. [9] The Sovereign Base Areas Administration has carried out assessments and surveys into the effects on wildlife, which have fed into an "Akrotiri Peninsula Environmental Management Plan", published in September 2012. [10] The United Kingdom has shown no intention of ceding the base areas in their entirety to Cypriot control, although it has offered to cede 117 square kilometres (45 sq mi) of farmland as part of the rejected Annan Plan for Cyprus .

As of 2015 [update] , around 3,000 troops of British Forces Cyprus are based at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Ayios Nikolaos Station , in the ESBA, is a GCHQ electronic intelligence listening station of the UKUSA intelligence network. [11] The election of left-wing Dimitris Christofias as Cypriot president in February 2008 prompted concern in the United Kingdom. Christofias has pledged to remove all foreign military forces from the island as part of a future settlement of the Cyprus dispute , calling the British presence on the island a "colonial bloodstain". [12] Criticisms and Speculation Edit During the Syrian Civil War of 2013, on 29 August 2013, some Cypriot and British media sources speculated that long-range ballistic missiles fired from Syria in retaliation for proposed British involvement in military intervention against the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad, could hit Cyprus, and could potentially deliver chemical weapons.

In some Cypriot media, the proposed interdiction of the Syrian civil war, utilising Akrotiri and Dhekelia, could recklessly endanger the Cypriot populations near to those bases. [13] The Cypriot foreign minister, Ioannis Kasoulides moved to calm Cypriot concerns on 27 August 2013, saying that the British bases were unlikely to play a major part in any intervention. [14] Reviews Edit In January 2010, a newspaper article appeared in the mainstream British press [15] claiming that as a result of budgetary constraints arising from the late 2000s recession , the British Ministry of Defence drew up controversial [16] plans to withdraw the United Kingdom's 3,000 strong garrison from Cyprus and end the use of Cyprus as a staging point for ground forces. Since this time, the Labour government under whom the proposal appeared has been replaced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and their defence review did not mention the issue.

On 15 Dec 2012 in a written statement to the lower house the Secretary of State for Defence of the UK government (Phillip Hammond) revealed the findings of a report on the SBA military bases following the completion of a review of their operations by Lord Ashcroft: "The Sovereign Base areas are in a region of geo-political importance and high priority for the United Kingdom’s long term national security interests...Our military personnel, United Kingdom civilians and locally employed personnel in the Sovereign Base Areas make a major contribution to the national security of the United Kingdom and will continue to do so in the future." [17] Constitution and governance A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 helicopter at RAF Akrotiri. The SBAs were retained in 1960 to keep military bases in areas under British sovereignty, (along with the rights retained to use other Sites in what became the territory of the Republic). That makes them different from the other remaining British Overseas Territories , except for the British Indian Ocean Territory which was similarly carved out of a former colony as a site for a military base, although in that case the base was to be used by the United States and the inhabitants ( Chagossians ) were all removed.

The basic philosophy of their administration was declared by Her Majesty's Government in 'Appendix O' to the 1960 treaty with Cyprus, which provided that the British government intended: Not to develop the Sovereign Base Areas for other than military purposes. Not to set up and administer "colonies". Not to create customs posts or other frontier barriers between the Sovereign Base Areas and the Republic. Not to set up or permit the establishment of civilian commercial or industrial enterprises except insofar as these are connected with military requirements, and not otherwise to impair the economic commercial or industrial unity and life of the Island. Not to establish commercial or civilian seaports or airports. Not to allow new settlement of people in the Sovereign Base Areas other than for temporary purposes. Not to expropriate private property within the Sovereign Base Areas except for military purposes on payment of fair compensation. [18] The ancient monuments and antiquity (in particular the site and remains of Curium, Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates near Curium,the Stadium of Curium and the Church and remains of the Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats) will be administered and maintained by the Republic of Cyprus.

Licenses for antiquity excavation will be issued by the Republic but will be subject to the consent of the authorities of the Sovereign Base Areas. Movable antiquities found in excavations or discovered will be the property of the Republic [19] .. According to the Ministry of Defence, Because the SBAs are primarily required as military bases and not ordinary dependent territories, the Administration reports to the Ministry of Defence in London. It has no formal connection with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the British High Commission in Nicosia, although there are close informal links with both offices on policy matters. [20] The territory is administered by an Administrator, who is also the Commander of British Forces Cyprus (from November 2012 Major General Richard J.Cripwell [21] ). The Administrator is officially appointed by the British monarch , on the advice of the Ministry of Defence . The Administrator has all the executive and legislative authority of a Governor of an overseas territory . A Chief Officer is appointed, and is responsible to the Administrator for the day-to-day running of the civil government, with subordinate Area Officers responsible for the civil administration of the two areas.

No elections are held in the territory, although British citizens are normally entitled to vote in United Kingdom elections (as British Forces or overseas electors). The Areas have their own legal system, distinct from the United Kingdom and Cyprus. This consists of the laws of the Colony of Cyprus as at August 1960, amended as necessary. The laws of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are kept, as far as possible, the same as the laws of Cyprus. The Court of the Sovereign Base Areas is concerned with non-military offences committed by any person within Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and law and order is maintained by the Sovereign Base Areas Police , while military law is upheld by the Cyprus Joint Police Unit. Fire and Rescue services are provided by the Defence Fire and Risk Management Organisation through stations at Episkopi, Akrotiri, Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolayos. The Defence Medical Services provide emergency ambulance cover based from medical centres in the main bases. All emergency services are accessible from any telephone using the Europe-wide emergency number 112. Geography Episkopi Bay is on the west coast of Akrotiri. Map of Akrotiri, Western Sovereign Base Area, BFPO 57.

Map of Dhekelia, Eastern Sovereign Base Area, BFPOs 58 & 59. Akrotiri and Dhekelia cover 3% of the land area of Cyprus, a total of 254 km2 (98 sq mi) (split 123 km2 (47 sq mi) (47.5) at Akrotiri and 131 km2 (51 sq mi) (50.5) at Dhekelia). Sixty percent of the land is privately owned as freeholds by Cypriot citizens. The other 40% is controlled by the Ministry of Defence as Crown land. In addition to Akrotiri and Dhekelia, the Treaty of Establishment also provided for the continued use by the British Ministry of Defence and the British Armed Forces of certain facilities within Cyprus, known as Retained Sites. Akrotiri is located in the south of the island, near the city of Limassol (or Lemesos). Dhekelia is in the southeast, near Larnaca . Both of these areas include military bases, as well as farmland and some residential land.

Akrotiri is surrounded by territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, but Dhekelia also borders on the United Nations (UN) buffer zone and the area controlled by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . Ayia Napa lies to the East of Dhekelia. The villages of Xylotymbou and Ormidhia , also in the Republic of Cyprus, are enclaves surrounded by Dhekelia. The Dhekelia Power Station , divided by a British road into two parts, also belongs to Cyprus. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea, and therefore not an enclave, though it has no territorial waters of its own. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in right of the British Crown, and the Crown of the United Kingdom in right of the Sovereign Base Areas Administration, claims territorial waters of up to three nautical miles, and also officially reserves the right according to the laws of the United Nations to extend the claim of up to twelve nautical miles. [22] Demographics See also: Languages of Cyprus When the Areas were being established, the boundaries were deliberately drawn up to avoid centres of population.

Approximately 14,000 people live in the Areas. About 7,000 native Cypriots work in the Areas themselves, or on farmland within the boundaries of the Areas. The British military and their families make up the rest of the population. Persons may in theory be eligible to claim the British Overseas Territories citizenship or the BOTC status through a personal connection to the Areas; but unlike most other British Overseas Territories, there is no provision in the British Nationality Acts by which British citizenship (with the right of abode in the United Kingdom) can either be claimed through automatic entitlement or be applied for by means of registration, from or through a sole personal connection to the Base Areas. Under the terms of the 1960 agreement with Cyprus establishing the Sovereign Base Areas, the United Kingdom is committed not to use the Areas for civilian purposes. This was stated in 2002 as the primary reason for the exclusion of the Areas from the scope of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 . Economy Edit There are no economic statistics gathered for Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The main economic activities are the provision of services to the military, as well as limited agriculture.

On 1 January 2008 Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopted the Euro along with the rest of Cyprus under the effective control and administration of the Republic and the Government of Cyprus. The Sovereign Base Areas are the only areas under British sovereignty to officially use as the official tender the Euro. [23] Media BFBS Radio 1 and 2 are broadcast on FM and can be widely received in Cyprus, but the BFBS Television signal has been confined to the SBAs or encrypted since 1997, for copyright reasons. Limassol BBC Relay is situated here. Amateur radio Edit The bases are issued different amateur radio call signs from the Republic of Cyprus. Amateurs on the bases use the International Telecommunication Union prefix of "ZC4" which is assigned to Great Britain. There are about 52 amateurs licensed in this manner. The ITU prefix for the Republic of Cyprus is mainly "5B". The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus uses the unallocated call sign prefix of "1B", but this is only recognized internationally by Turkey.

Under ITU regulations it is illegal for an amateur radio operator to communicate via radio with a call sign issued by a state not recognised as a member of the ITU, with the exception of a true emergency. See also Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia Anthem: God Save the Queen Akrotiri (left) and Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas indicated in pink. Capital Episkopi Cantonment Official languages English Government Sovereign Base Areas - Administrator Richard Lacey British overseas territory - Established 1960 Area - Total 254 km² 98 sq mi Population - Density n/a/km² ( n/a) n/a/sq mi Currency Cypriot pound ( CYP) Time zone EET ( UTC+2) - Summer ( DST) EEST ( UTC+3) Internet TLD n/a Calling code +n/a Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom . The bases were retained by the UK following the transition of Cyprus' status from a colony in the British Empire to an independent Commonwealth republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

The United Kingdom retained the bases arising from the strategic location of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea . The Bases are split into Akrotiri ( Greek: Ακρωτήρι; Turkish: Agrotur, along with Episkopi Garrison, is part of an area known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (Greek: Δεκέλεια; Turkish: Dikelya, along with Ayios Nikolaos, is part of the Eastern Sovereign Base Area or ESBA). History The Sovereign Base Areas were created in 1960 by the Treaty of Establishment, when Cyprus, a colony within the British Empire , was granted independence. The United Kingdom wished to retain sovereignty over these areas, as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri, and a garrison of the British Army. The importance of the Bases to the British is based on the strategic location of Cyprus, at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, close to the Suez Canal and the Middle East ; the ability to use the RAF base as staging post for military aircraft; and for general training purposes.

In 1974, Turkey invaded the North of Cyprus, leading to the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . However, this did not affect the status of the Bases, and the British were not involved in the fighting. Greek-Cypriots fleeing from the Turks were permitted to travel through the Dhekelia base, and were given humanitarian aid. The Turkish advance halted when it reached the edge of the base area, rather than risk war with Britain. The Ayia Napa area was thus preserved in Greek hands. Cyprus has occasionally demanded the return of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, citing that the bases take up a large amount of territory that could be used for civilian development. For four years after Cypriot independence in 1960, the British government paid the Republic of Cyprus rent for the bases. After the intercommunal conflict of 1963-64 they stopped, claiming there was no guarantee that both communities would benefit equally from that money. The Cypriot government is still claiming money for the years from 1964 to now. Estimates for the debt range from several hundred thousand to over one billion Euros .

In July 2001, violent protests were held at the Bases by local Cypriots, angry at British plans to construct radio masts at the bases, as part of an upgrade of British military communication posts around the world. Locals had claimed the masts would endanger local lives and cause cancer, as well as have a negative impact on wildlife in the area. The British government denied these claims. The UK has shown no intention of surrendering the Bases, although it has offered to surrender 117 square kilometres of farmland as part of the rejected Annan Plan for Cyprus. Today, around 3,000 troops of British Forces Cyprus are based at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Ayios Nikolaos, in the ESBA, is believed to be a listening station of the intelligence network ECHELON . Politics The Bases are administered by the Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas, who is the Commander British Forces Cyprus. The Administrator is officially appointed by the British monarch, on the advice of the Ministry of Defence. The Administrator has all the executive and legislative authority of a Governor of an overseas territory.

A Chief Officer is appointed, and is responsible to the Administrator for the day-to-day running of the civil government. No elections are held in the Bases, although British citizens are normally entitled to vote in United Kingdom elections (as British Forces or overseas electors). Law The Bases have their own legal system, distinct from the UK and Cyprus. This consists of the laws of the Colony of Cyprus as at August 1960, amended as necessary. The laws of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are kept, as far as possible, the same as the laws of Cyprus. The Court of the Sovereign Base Area is concerned with non-military offences committed by any person within Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Law and order is maintained by the Sovereign Base Areas Police, while military law is upheld by the Cyprus Joint Police Unit. Geography Atlas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia - Wikimedia Commons Atlas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository The introductions of the country, dependency and region entries are in the native languages and in English. The other introductions are in English.

Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia - Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two areas on the island of ► Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The bases were retained by the UK following the transition of Cyprus' status from a colony in the British Empire to an independent Commonwealth republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. The United Kingdom retained the bases arising from the strategic location of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Ελληνικά ► British overseas territory on ► Cyprus , present status since 1960 Location Protestantism and Greek Orthodoxy More information Location of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus Map of Akrotiri Map of Dhekelia History maps This section holds a short summary of the history of the area of present-day Akrotiri and Dhekelia, illustrated with maps, including historical maps of former countries and empires that included present-day Akrotiri and Dhekelia. When Cyprus becomes independent the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia stay under British jurisdiction and remain British sovereign territory. See Atlas of Cyprus for maps.

Notes and references General remarks: The WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons. The main page is therefore the portal to maps and cartography on Wikimedia. That page contains links to entries by country, continent and by topic as well as general notes and references . Every entry has an introduction section in English. If other languages are native and/or official in an entity, introductions in other languages are added in separate sections. The text of the introduction(s) is based on the content of the Wikipedia encyclopedia. For sources of the introduction see therefore the Wikipedia entries linked to. The same goes for the texts in the history sections. Historical maps are included in the continent, country and dependency entries. The status of various entities is disputed. See the content for the entities concerned. The maps of former countries that are more or less continued by a present-day country or had a territory included in only one or two countries are included in the atlas of the present-day country. For example the Ottoman Empire can be found in the Atlas of Turkey . ↑ Romanization: Akrotiri & Dhekeleia.

Entries available in the atlas General pages Administrative divisions • International organizations • Languages • Religions Historical eras Prehistory • Antiquity • Middle Ages • Rise of Islam • Early Modern Age • Early American Societies • Early Asian Societies • Age of Renaissance • Colonialism • Stielers Handatlas 1891 • 20th Century • World War I • World War II Entities with undisputed sovereign status Afghanistan • Albania • Algeria • Andorra • Angola • Antigua and Barbuda • Argentina • Armenia • Australia • Austria • Azerbaijan • Bahamas • Bahrain • Bangladesh • Barbados • Belarus • Belgium • Belize • Benin • Bhutan • Bolivia • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Brunei • Bulgaria • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cambodia • Cameroon • Canada • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Chile • China • Colombia • Comoros • Congo (Democratic Republic) • Congo (Republic) • Costa Rica • Côte d’Ivoire • Croatia • Cuba • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Djibouti • Dominica • Dominican Republic • East Timor • Ecuador • Egypt • El Salvador • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea • Estonia • Ethiopia • Fiji • Finland

 • France • Gabon • Gambia • Georgia • Germany • Ghana • Greece • Grenada • Guatemala • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Guyana • Haiti • Honduras • Hungary • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Jamaica • Japan • Jordan • Kazakhstan • Kenya • Kiribati • Korea (Democratic People’s Republic) • Korea (Republic) • Kuwait • Kyrgyzstan • Laos • Latvia • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Macedonia (Republic) • Madagascar • Malawi • Malaysia • Maldives • Mali • Malta • Marshall Islands • Mauritania • Mauritius • Mexico • Micronesia (Federated States) • Moldova • Monaco • Mongolia • Montenegro • Morocco • Mozambique • Myanmar • Namibia • Nauru • Nepal • The Netherlands • New Zealand • Nicaragua • Niger • Nigeria • Norway • Oman • Pakistan • Palau • Panama • Papua New Guinea • Paraguay • Peru • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Qatar • Romania • Russia • Rwanda • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Samoa • San Marino • São Tomé and Príncipe • Saudi Arabia •

 Senegal • Serbia • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • Singapore • Slovakia • Slovenia • Solomon Islands • Somalia • South Africa • South Sudan • Sovereign Military Order of Malta • Spain • Sri Lanka • Sudan • Suriname • Swaziland • Sweden • Switzerland • Syria • Tajikistan • Tanzania • Thailand • Togo • Tonga • Trinidad and Tobago • Tunisia • Turkey • Turkmenistan • Tuvalu • Uganda • Ukraine • United Arab Emirates • United Kingdom • United States • Uruguay • Uzbekistan • Vanuatu • Vatican City • Venezuela • Vietnam • Yemen • Zambia • Zimbabwe Entities with disputed sovereign status Abkhazia • Azawad • China (Republic)/Taiwan • Islamic State • Kosovo • Nagorno-Karabakh Republic • New Russia • Northern Cyprus • Palestine • Somaliland • South Ossetia • Tamil Eelam • Transnistria • Western Sahara Dependencies and other overseas territories Akrotiri and Dhekelia • Åland • American Samoa • Anguilla • Aruba • Ascension Island • Ashmore and Cartier Islands • Baker Island • Bermuda • Bouvet Island • British Indian Ocean Territory • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Christmas Island • Clipperton Island • Cocos (Keeling

) Islands • Cook Islands • Coral Sea Islands • Curaçao • Faroe Islands • French Guiana • French Polynesia • French Southern and Antarctic Lands • Gibraltar • Greenland • Guadeloupe • Guam • Guantanamo Bay • Guernsey • Heard Island and McDonald Islands • Hong Kong • Howland Island • Isle of Man • Jan Mayen • Jarvis Island • Jersey • Johnston Atoll • Kingman Reef • Macau • Martinique • Mayotte • Midway Atoll • Montserrat • Navassa Island • New Caledonia • Niue • Norfolk Island • Northern Mariana Islands • Palmyra Atoll • Pitcairn Islands • Puerto Rico • Réunion • Saint Helena • Saint-Barthélemy • Saint Martin (France) • Sint Maarten (Netherlands) • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Svalbard • Tokelau • Tristan da Cunha • Turks and Caicos Islands • United States Virgin Islands • Wake Island • Wallis and Futuna Disputed subnational entities and territories Crimea • Cyrenaica • Galmudug • Himan and Heeb • Jubaland • Kashmir • Khatumo • Kurdistan (Syrian) • Paracel Islands • Puntland • Sprat

ly Islands • Falkland Islands • South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands • Bajo Nuevo Bank • Serranilla Bank • Southwestern Somalia Subnational autonomous entities A GUIDE TO THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES - Telegraph A GUIDE TO THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks 9:09PM GMT 04 Feb 2011 Ref ID: 09LONDON1039 Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Destination: 08LONDON2667|09LONDON993|09NASSAU169 Header: VZCZCXRO4441PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSRDE RUEHLO #1039/01 1211502ZNY CCCCC ZZHP 011502Z MAY 09FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2183INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITYRUEH

BU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0297RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU PRIORITY 0203RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS PRIORITY 0137RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITYRHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITYRHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITYRHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITYRUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1425RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITYRUVNSAO/NAVSUPPFAC DIEGO GARCIA PRIORITYRUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITYRUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC PRIORITY Tags: PGOV,PREL,ECON,ETRD,MOPS,MARR,AY,CJ,FK,GI,IO,PC,SH,TK,UK C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LONDON 00

1039 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE E.O.

12958: DECL: 04/29/2029 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, ETRD, MOPS, MARR, AY, CJ, FK, GI, IO, PC, SH, TK, UK SUBJECT: A GUIDE TO THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES REF: A)NASSAU 169 B)LONDON 993 C)08 LONDON 2667 Classified By: Political Affairs Counselor, Rick Mills for reasons 1.4 (b, c, and d) Introduction and Summary ------------------------ 1. (C) The British Overseas Territories (BOT) are fourteen far-flung possessions under British sovereignty that hearken to the era when Britannia truly ruled the waves. One Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official accurately characterized the BOTs as "remnants of empire" -- acquired by Great Britain when the phrase "the sun never sets on the British Empire" could be spoken without a trace of irony. The territories run the gamut from remote locales without a permanent population, such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, to largely autonomous entities like Bermuda.

Some, such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, are subject to sovereignty claims by other nations - although the overwhelming percentage of the populations of both the Falklands and Gibraltar strongly prefer to remain under British rule. The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT, which includes the atoll of Diego Garcia), Ascension Island, and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, are notable for their strategic value to the US government. The BOTs comprise a mosaic of distinct cultural traditions, reflecting their worldwide locations. Since 2002, BOT citizens have been British citizens, with limited exceptions. However, the BOTs are not constitutionally part of the UK. Each has a distinct constitution and a unique legal relationship to the UK. HMG guarantees the defense of all BOTs and handles their foreign relations. Many aim for economic self-sufficiency, with tourism and finance playing a significant part in the economies of many BOTs. 3. (SBU) This telegram provides an overview of the BOTs. The FCO Country Profiles pages at offer specific information about individual BOTs, as does the CIA World Factbook.

Both are valuable sources of in-depth information about the BOTs, as are the websites of many of the BOTs themselves. End Introduction and Summary. What They Are ------------- 4. (SBU) The fourteen BOTs are, in alphabetical order, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Cayman Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and its dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The BOTs are sometimes mistakenly lumped in the popular British imagination with the Crown Dependencies. However, Crown Dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to BOTs or colonies. Crown Dependencies are the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. 5.

(C) Facts and figures about each BOT are available on the FCO's Country Profiles pages at As one FCO officer with extensive experience covering OT issues recently told Poloff, these territories are "the remnants of empire." Indeed, Britain acquired most of them at the apogee of its national power and prestige, with dates of acquisition ranging from the 17th to the early 20th century. Bermuda was the first, settled in 1609; Britain claimed the last, the British Antarctic Territory, in 1908. 6. (U) The overall population of the BOTs totals approximately 200,000, ranging from 67,000 in Bermuda to about 50 on the Pitcairn Islands. Some BOTs have a transient population, but no permanent inhabitants. For example, the LONDON 00001039 002 OF 004 inhabitants of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands include British officials, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases on the islands. The transient populations of the BIOT atoll of Diego Garcia and Ascension Island in the South Atlantic consist of U.S.

and UK military personnel, as well as civilian contractors of various nationalities. Where They Are -------------- 7. (SBU) Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus are the only BOTs located in Europe and fall under EU jurisdiction. -Five OTs -- Anguilla, the BVI, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands--are located in the Caribbean Sea. Bermuda is situated in the North Atlantic, off the U.S. coast on roughly the same latitude as Charleston, South Carolina. -The Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension Island are all located in the South Atlantic. Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world, about 1700 miles west of Cape Town. -The Pitcairn Islands, officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the South Pacific 1550 miles southeast of Tahiti. Only Pitcairn Island - the second largest - is inhabited.

-The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which comprises the Chagos Archipelago and includes the atoll of Diego Garcia, lies between Africa and Indonesia. -The British Antarctic Territory comprises that sector of the Antarctic south of latitude 60 degrees south, between longitude 20 degrees and 80 degrees west. So What IS a British Overseas Territory? ---------------------------------------- 8. (U) The BOTs are constitutionally not part of the UK. Each has a separate constitution. All have governors that are appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, except the uninhabited ones. For these, HMG appoints a commissioner, who is an FCO employee. The governors and commissioners dually represent HMG in the BOT and the BOT before HMG. 9. (U) Each BOT is constitutionally unique. The degree of self-government depends on the BOT's constitutional relationship with the UK. Larger, more developed BOTs are largely autonomous in regard to their internal affairs, as is the case with Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Falklands, and others. The common thread among them is recognition of UK sovereignty, acknowledgment of the Queen as the Head of State, and British citizenship. 10.

(U) HMG can and will intervene directly and significantly in a BOT's internal government under extraordinary circumstances, as is presently the case in the Turks and Caicos Islands (see Paragraph 16). Larger BOTs, such as the Cayman Islands and the BVI, have popularly-elected legislatures and executive heads, and the UK-appointed governors have limited control over local affairs. For example, Gibraltar has an independent parliament and the governor does not intervene in local affairs; Bermuda is largely self-governed, and practically independent in all areas other than foreign relations and defense. The Falkland Islands and Saint Helena have elected legislative councils, but the governors appointed by the Queen are the heads of government. The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia have no locally elected government and are represented by the Commander of the British Forces in Cyprus. Cypriots who live in that BOT are subject to the LONDON 00001039 003 OF 004 laws of Cyprus. 11. (SBU) The BOTs are supported in HMG by the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

UKOTA acts like a lobbying group in London; it exists to promote and defend the common interests of the BOTs, as well as promote cooperation and common positions among BOT governments. UKOTA's members are the BOT governments themselves, represented by a delegate named by each government. Who are BOT Residents? ---------------------- 12. (U) With the signing of the British Overseas Territories Act in 2002, nearly all residents of the BOTs became full citizens of the UK. There are limited exceptions. For example, those connected solely with the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus are not entitled to full British citizenship. Some BOT citizens had British citizenship prior to the 2002 Act, e.g. Falkland Islanders. The 2002 Act changed the official name of the areas from British Dependent Territories to British Overseas Territories. 13. (U) Although the BOTs are united by their common British sovereignty, they are a mosaic of different cultures. For example, Gibraltar is a melting pot of English, Spanish, and North African influences. The Falkland Islands are mostly populated by people of British origin, with more sheep than human beings on the islands.

Bermuda and the Caribbean BOTs are vibrant mixtures of diverse cultures and languages. Unsurprisingly, these sunny BOTs are popular tourist destinations for UK residents. Some BOTs have unique languages or dialects. For example, Pitcairn residents speak "Pikern," a mixed language of 18th century English dialect infused with Tahitian elements. Economy ------- 14. (SBU) Tourism and financial services account for most of the revenue generated in the BOTs. Shipping and the sale of fishing licenses are also revenue sources for many BOTs. As philatelists know, the BOTs also generate revenue from the sale of postage stamps. HMG has, for example, issued stamps for the BIOT and the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. Many BOTs are self-sustaining, except for defense costs. Saint Helena, the Pitcairn Islands, and Montserrat depend on subsidies from HMG. The BOTs do not make a direct contribution to the British Exchequer, although some contribute towards the cost of the governor and his staff. 15. (U) Bermuda has an economy roughly the size of all the other BOTs combined.

Bermuda's economy is based on providing financial services for international business and tourism. According to the FCO, the Bermuda per capita GDP in 2007 was USD 91,477. Problems -------- 16. (C) The FCO has identified several problems facing the BOTs. According to the FCO, many BOTs face challenges common to all small island economies, i.e. smaller countries risk marginalization in a globalized economy. Some BOT economies are fragile because of dependence on one or two sectors (e.g. tourism and international finance). Some of the BOTs, especially those in the Caribbean, are vulnerable to drug-trafficking and associated crime. In some instances, the lack of a developed civil society, a strong legislature and/or a vibrant press mean there are few checks on the executive. For example, in July 2008, HMG conducted an inquiry into allegations of corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands' government. The embattled Premier resigned and HMG intervened directly in governance (see ref A). The final report of the Commission of Inquiry has been delayed until the end of May, the FCO has confirmed.

The islands are LONDON 00001039 004 OF 004 currently deeply in debt, due in large part to executive mismanagement. Who Else Claims Them? --------------------- (SBU) Some BOTs are sources of international controversy based on competing sovereignty claims. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982, but Britain retook them after a fiercely fought, seven-week-long armed conflict. Argentina's constitution claims the Falkland Islands, although Argentina agreed in 1995 to no longer use force to press its claim. HMG continuously rejects requests for sovereignty talks between the UK and Argentina, citing the strong preference of the Falklands' population to remain British subjects. Argentina also claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. 18. (C) HMG will contest Argentina's claim for sovereign rights (including oil and mineral rights) to seabed surrounding Britain's South Atlantic Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands. Great Britain will submit its own claim for seabed rights for its South Atlantic territories to the UN body that considers claims for seabed rights.

HMG does not presently plan to file seabed rights claims for the British Antarctic Territory, but will reserve the right to make claims in the future (see ref B). 19. (SBU) Gibraltar was ceded from Spain to Great Britain in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht. Although Spain claims Gibraltar, the population overwhelmingly wants to remain under British sovereignty. HMG has affirmed that it will not consider independence or a power-sharing agreement with Spain without the consent of Gibraltar's citizens. 20. (SBU) Mauritius claims the Chagos Islands (BIOT), contending that the islands were "wrongfully detached" by the UK before Mauritius became independent from British colonial rule. The BIOT has been the subject of a legal battle between HMG and some of the islands' former inhabitants, whom the UK relocated off the archipelago in the early 1970s. "Chagossians" and their advocates contest the legality of the islanders' resettlement and seek the right to return (see ref C). Strategic Relevance ------------------- 21. (C) Diego Garcia, in the BIOT, presently is home to a joint U.S.-UK naval support facility.

The atoll is of vital strategic importance for defense purposes to the U.S. and UK, including in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Note. For further information about the U.S. Navy Support Facility on Diego Garcia see End Note.) Ascension Island (Saint Helena BOT) is the location of Wideawake Airfield, which is a joint facility of the RAF and the U.S. Air Force. The island was used extensively by the U.S. during WWII and was integral to British success in the Falklands War. 22. (C) The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus are geographically distinct military bases. RAF Akrotiri is an important aircraft staging point and one of the few major RAF stations located outside the United Kingdom. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX TOKOLA Akrotiri and Dhekelia - Mr. Rungsun Klinkaeo 4 Mr.

Rungsun Klinkaeo 4 Asia #map Abkhazia #map Afghanistan #map Akrotiri and Dhekelia #map Armenia #map Azerbaijan [Europe] #map Bahrain #map Bangladesh #map Bhutan #map British Indian Ocean Territory #map Brunei #map Cambodia #map China #map Christmas Island #map Cocos (Keeling) Islands #map Cyprus [Europe] #map East Timor (Timor-Leste) #map Georgia [Europe] #map Hong Kong #map India #map Indonesia #map Iran #map Iraq #map Israel #map Japan #map Jordan #map Kazakhstan #map Kurdistan #map Kuwait #map Kyrgzstan #map Laos #map Lebanon #map Macau #map Malaysia #map Maldives #map Mongolia #map Sunrise on the World Heritage site of Bagan, Mynamar (Burma) Bagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers an area about 7 km by 7 km and is packed with 7000+ pagodas. It was one of the world's greatest cities from around AD 850 until it's demise around the 13th century.

Myanmar (Burma) #map Nagorno-Karabakh #map Nepal #map North Korea #map Northern Cyprus #map Oman #map Pakistan #map Palestine #map Philippines #map Qatar #map Saudi Arabia #map Singapore #map South Korea #map South Ossetia #map Sri Lanka #map Syria #map Taiwan #map Tajikistan #map Thailand #map Turkey [Europe] #map Turkmenistan #map United Arab Emirates #map Uzbekistan #map Vietnam #map Yemen #map Asia #map #map #map

Question: Akrotiri and Dhekelia are British Overseas Territories on which island?
Answer: CYPRUS